


Gears of Time

by fairyneko



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe, Author updates when Author updates, Everyone is confused about Revali including Revali., Found Family, Gen, OCs show up to flesh out cast., Physical Disability, Revali with ADHD/ADD, Ugly Duckling Revali, Zelda and Co also show up but are not main focus.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29299962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyneko/pseuds/fairyneko
Summary: The gears of time are fragile and easily interchangeable.Gears can be added.Gears can be removed.Gears can be swapped.Gears can even be ignored.When too many gears are changed too quickly…What happens to the machine?
Kudos: 13





	1. T-23 (When the Machine moves)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty three years to the year of destiny and things play out a bit differently...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please pay attention to the tags and whatever warnings I put in the beginning. At points this is gonna slide into some really sketchy territory.
> 
> If I say the chapter was Beta read It'll be Beta read by TheSkyLarkin and RavioxHilda. Though at times I might get too excited and post anyways.

_ The entire Domain is in an uproar with the news that the prince’s egg was stolen. The egg is rescued safe and sound. The Domain celebrates the strength of their own. _

_ No one notices the odd magenta streak going through the egg.  _

_ No one notices the just-as-odd but soothing blue glow that chases away said streak. _

_ No one notices how at dawn the egg will glow white-blue in the same rhythm as the song it will soon sing. _

__

  
  


_ A young Gerudo chieftain-to-be dodges death by inches more than her fair share this day. Though young, she slays the lizalfos that were not meant to be there. She stealthily makes her way past the moblin that she was not warned of. She even manages to outrun a molduga that a later guard swears on their life was slain. It is later noted the molduga had an odd magenta slime to it (that disappeared when it perished). _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The Gerudo escapes, though the heat of the desert she loves nearly claims her instead. _

__

  
  


_ A young Yiga clan member follows a quiet voice and stumbles onto a horrific secret. They stumble back to the hideout and shake for a month. An old hatred is shattered while a new one is born. They grieve for children that never lived.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ He never forgets the song sung for the dead.  _

  
  
  


_ A Goron bellows gleefully as they roll through a hoard of bokoblins. The monsters were killed that morning. The pathway should have been clear for travelers.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ A few scratches are earned but the Goron lives for another day. _

  
  
  


_ A king bellows in rage as he attacks the Yiga assassins that went after his queen. The man will not allow them near his most beloved person.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The assassins will not leave the castle alive. _

  
  
  


_ Another village is destroyed, doomed to fall into history. Knights that would sire a child of destiny narrowly avoid being killed by a rusted gear. They are saved by the simple decision to change what day to go into Castle Town.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Saved by the mundane, but suddenly important decision, to enjoy their time at the carnival a day sooner.  _

  
  


_ The egg was hatched in the middle of winter. A late egg that shouldn’t have survived; Laid late, forcibly hatched early by it’s parents to give it a semblance of survival. _

_ If they could have told anyone why they’d do something as taboo as smash an egg, its parents would have told how they ‘heard a divine voice that warned of monsters‘.  _

_ They would have told how the egg glowed with a divine blue glow.  _

_ How they knew their death was swiftly approaching. _

__

_ There wasn’t any time to do anything more after such an act than screech a war cry and charge out. _

_ The monster attack ripped through the village. If the chick had still been trapped in the egg, the Rito looking for survivors would never have found him.  _

_ A future hero would have been lost, perhaps for the detriment of Hyrule. Instead… _

_ Instead he was found. _

_ Not as a cold dead egg but as a still very cold, very tiny but alive and shrieking chick. He was so newly hatched he still had pieces of shell on him and yolk freezing to his head. _

_ His parents lay outside the house, killed defending him and the others. _

_ In another time and place, he would have been born during spring. Hatched normally, brought into the world to the sounds of excited singing. They would have been celebrating a new arrival and the release of the bitter winter. _

_ Instead his only welcome was a blanket, tears, and bloodied feathers. _

  
  
  
  
  


_ All have the potential to become legends. Some more than most. All are gears in the uncaring machine of time. _

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _ _  
  
_

_ A sister sighs in relief and promises to train better. A bit of her childhood innocence was lost with the near disaster, yet she smiles gently. _

  
  


_ She will be a  _ **_beacon of compassion._ **

  
  


_ A newly hatched tadpole sings a song not of Zora origin. A song of myth. A song that could rewrite history. It calls to the lingering instinct in the oldest Zora and they shudder in fear. _

  
  


_ They do not realize that he too will be a  _ **_beacon of joy._ **

  
  


_ A father worries. The theft has shown him that something is going on in the world. Something will happen ‘soon’. Soon being relative for the long lived Zora. _

  
  


_ A child of the desert stands proud like her ancestors before. Those to follow will imitate her pride and strength. The child declares that Death will need to work harder to claim her as she joins her sisters in celebration. It is too early for her to be considered an adult but to try and declare her a child still would devalue her victory over the monsters. _

  
  


_ She is still too young to have fully realized the  _ **_kindness_ ** _ she will bring to the world. _

__

_ The Yiga youth is unaware of how the information they found will help change history. There is no one to tell them the significance of their decision. They do not need a warning to keep silent. They do not tell anyone for a very long time. They will never forget the grief felt by all. _

  
  


_ This one is unaware that he will bring a rare  _ **_wisdom_ ** _. A wisdom built not on knowledge or intelligence, but grounded in common sense. _

__

_ A befuddled Goron shrugs and continues on his way home. He will not be made aware of how history could have changed until long after the events have been forgotten. He does not care. He has a delicious rock roast to get home to and friends to share it with. Life is good, simple and full of joy, just like it should be. _

  
  


_ He is unaware of how he will be a solid example of  _ **_strength tempered by consideration._ **

****

_ A king weeps as he realizes how close he came to losing his most beloved person. He promises to not take her for granted and vows to redouble his efforts to be a king she can be proud of.  _

_  
_ _  
_ _ He is unaware the  _ **_Shining light_ ** _ his future daughter will become. _

  
  


_ The knights of Hyrule are put on high alert. There was no excuse for that village to fall. They are unaware that soon their ranks will be joined by the  _ **_Knight of Hyrule_ ** _ , ever destined to come to the country’s rescue. _

__

_ A hatchling of the sky hums as she helps set the table. Her  _ **_steady nerves_ ** _ will be needed later. For now, she plays.  _

__

_ A sky hatchling of warmer climes sings nervously, unaware of his important future as he obediently attends lessons. His  _ **_honest cleverness_ ** _ will be needed later too. For now, his biggest worry is the next note to be sung. _

__

_ A chick rages against the cold while a hatchling of new destiny tries his best to help calm it. Their  _ **_resolution and heart_ ** _ will be tested in the future.  _

__

_ A false prophet curses that failure was met on all accounts. He continues plotting. He has a demon to serve and  _ **_glory_ ** _ to achieve. _

  
  


_ The gears of time turn….But there are new gears now and others have been altered. The machine is turning differently from how it was meant to. Will the gears turn smoothly? Or will they crumple against each other and turn to dust? _

  
  
  



	2. T-16 (Slice of life)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of insight and set up

A grey-navy rito chick dashes around the village, chirping excitedly. He has the red on his cheeks like any hatchling but it’s a blurry slash, longer and more defined than the cute dot most chicks have. Aside from this and the webbing between his talons and the tips of the unusually puffy feathers on his wings, he looks mostly like a normal chick.

“Revaliiiiiii! Slow dowwwwn, you’re gonna hurt yourself!”

“Catch me then, Tio! I bet you can’t!”

Like so many other chicks that get running fast, he is flapping his wings. Although they were still too tiny to give any lift, the long traditional belief that it helps to go faster is in full effect.

Following behind him as close as they can manage (which is not very close at all) is a pale white-grey rito stylized like a zebra finch. Even though they seem to be many years the hatchling’s senior, they can’t catch up to the hatchling on a mission.

What mission?

“Can’t catch me Tio! I’m gonna steal the pie! ”

“No you’re not! C’mon, leave the pie alone, Revali! And... And anyways! You’re going the wrong way! Auntie’s house is the other direction! ”

That finally stops Revali. He skids to a halt so fast that Tio trips over him and goes soaring over the side of the nearest fence. Revali looks down, wide-eyed, at where he landed as Tio yelps indignantly.

Of course for anyone else, falling off the side of a cliff would be a death sentence. Fortunately for him, the semi-fledged rito is able to flap his way clumsily back up to the deck. As soon as the older rito is safely onto solid ground, Revali tears off back the way they came.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner Tio?! The pie is going to be cold before we get there!”

Tio gasps, clearly winded from running after Revali, and does his best to chase after the young chicki.

“Revallllliiiii! Where do you get all this energy?! Slow down! I bet the pie isn’t even done cooking yet! And anyways we’re both suppose to be at flight lessons…!” He groans when saying that out loud just makes Revali corkscrew and head off in a different direction.  
  
He groans louder when he sees where Revali is going.

“No! Nonononono! Revali don’t you dare head for the pond! Cause that's not fair and you know it!”

“Naaaaah! Fair’s fair! I’m not doing flying lessons! They’re all mean and jerks and the lessons hurt my wings and they can eat my feathers! ” 

There’s a scandalized gasp from a nearby older rito woman as Tio grimaces and desperately tries to catch the careening hatchling.

“Auntie is going to have your tail if she hears about that! You know what she thinks of that kinda language! ”

Revali stops, turns and shakes his beak at Tio then sticks his tongue out before rushing off again. “You’re going to have to catch me first! And you’re both too slow!”

Revali makes a chattering laugh as the pond comes into view. Before Tio can stop him, he has already plunged into it and is awkwardly but happily bobbing about in the middle, out of reach. 

Tio groans when he reaches the pond. “That is so not fair Revali! You know I can’t chase you out there…!”

Revali sticks his tongue back out at Tio again and continues paddling about. “Why not? It's easy. Easier than flying anyways. I still can’t even catch the wind with these stupid stubby things...andandand if the wind is too strong, they tear and it hurts, Tio!”

Tio sighs and plops down beside the pond. “Yeah... Jerks, huh? Are they being mean about your size and feathers again?” He recalls a time when he caught some of the other hatchlings putting pond slime on him. That was the last time Revali took a nap in public without Tio or Auntie around.   
  
“Are you sure you don’t want me to ask Auntie to talk to anyone? Anyways… Lookit this way. The grown-ups don’t ask you to help as much as they do us. bleh. ”

  
Revali huffs.

“I wish they wouldn't, I'm only two years younger than you! I’m tired of being treated like a hatchling….” 

He paddles about for a bit before puffing his feathers out indignantly. “ I’m going to be a _legend_ someday! Just watch. And then they’ll all be sorry!”

Revali turns to look at Tio when the other chick doesn’t laugh. He’s surprised to find Tio sitting there looking thoughtful and paddles over to sit contentedly beside him. 

  
  


“…You know what. I bet you will, huh? But, You’re not gonna be a legend as a flightless Rito, y’know? ” Before Revali can do any more than puff up indignantly again, Tio hurries on. “So I’ll teach you!”

That stuns Revali into just staring slack beaked at Tio.

“...What. Tiobe.”

“No, seriously. I’ll pick up the lessons and teach you myself. I mean, your wings aren’t suppose to hurt and the dumb grown-ups aren’t going to teach you, right? Sooooo… why not?”

Revali stares at him flatly before answering. “…you’re serious. But you can’t even fly yet! You just flap about. ”

Tiobe sulks and squawks at Revali. “I’m the best in my class!”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better, Tio?!”

They both break down into laughter.

“Well…okay then Tio. But on one condition!” He rushes ahead before Tio can respond.  
  


“I’m going to teach you how to swim. Its stupid you can’t even _try_ and come out after me! And besides it’ll help with food, and if you fall in you can at least swim to safety! ”

  
Tiobe frowns. “…Rev. You’ve seen my feet, right? That weird skin between your toes really seems to help and I don’t have that…and anyways, the water's cold! Also, you’re already dry, it’d take _me_ ages to dry off…! ”

Tio immediately pats Revali and pauses when said chick hisses at him. 

“I don’t like being touched!” 

Tiobe isn’t listening as he continues poking and petting Revali’s wing. “Hey wait, Revs. You’re all super fluffy!”

Revali squawks when Tio parts his feathers slightly then pauses when Tio starts comparing their feathers. 

“...I never noticed? Why are your downy feathers so much less fluffy than...Ow! Not okay! ”   
  
Revali snaps at Tio as he fascinatedly sits two of Revali’s feathers side by side then plucks one of his own and sits them down. At that point Revali stares too with a tilted head.

“...Has no one ever compared your feathers before?”

  
Revali clacks his beak at Tiobe. 

“Nuh-uh. Auntie knows _I don’t like being touched._ ”

The other chick looks sheepish but pokes around at the feathers. “Sorry Rev. But look at this: I only have downy stuff and a few baby flight feathers. You’ve got down, yeah but… What’s with these weird soft-smooth feathers? They’re not grown-up feathers, they’re too soft…”

Revali looks equally fascinated as Tio starts moving the feathers through the water. The downy feather slick down, same as Tio’s would. The other feather he plucked just let the water slide off instead of absorbing it.

They both stare wide-eyed as Tio nods slowly. “...So _that’s_ why you dry off so fast! The water gets stuck on these weird feathers and just…rolls off! I’m so jealous! No wonder you don’t mind when it rains! ” 

Revali puffs up and looks embarrassedly pleased at all the attention he is getting. “Stop iiiiit. ”

Tio bounces up excitedly and seems about to say something when:

“Boys! Tiobe! Revali! Where _did_ you get to?! You were supposed to be home an hour ago! ”

“Do you think she…” Revali wilts while Tio grimaces.

“Maybe not yet, but if we don’t hurry we’ll be in a lot more trouble than just a missed flying lesson.”

The two boys don’t even hesitate. They both run off at the same time though Revali quickly speeds ahead which makes Tio wail. 

“Slow down Revali! You’re always leaving me behiiiiiinnnnd!” 

“I’m not slowing down, you can catch up!” 

“REVALI! Not fair!”

  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_As the two boys rush to try and minimize their punishment, two children are born elsewhere. The gears belonging to the Beacon of Light and Knight of Hyrule start turning._

  
  


_The false seer makes another attempt at removing gears, only to fail._

  
  


_The Gerudo woman is allowed to partake in the rituals of maturity. Having over-imbibed on choice drink doesn’t stop her from taking out the monster ambush in the morning. Monster attacks are so commonplace that she doesn’t realize anything is wrong._

_She cleans her scimitar and goes back to bed._

  
  


_The Goron doesn’t even realize anything is wrong at all. Mine cave-ins happen all the time and no one was hurt. He cheers with his brothers as they celebrate. Tonight they will party like only Gorons can. Tomorrow they will clear the mine out and get back to work._

_There are people awaiting materials for their orders._

  
  


_The Zora celebrate another year with their princess and prince. Nothing out of the ordinary seems to happen. It rains an unusual amount but the East Reservoir dam holds steady._

_No one notices the prince look towards the East Reservoir with a look of awe. They have to rescue him later after he gets stuck in an eddy trying to swim up the falls._ _  
_ _  
_ _The young prince is happily humming the song of his hatching._

  
  
  


_The Yiga man quietly moves about. Unlike the rest of the clan he has both ambition and heart. He uses his innate clumsiness as a tool. He carefully cultivates allies and plans for the future._ _  
_ _  
  
_

  
  


_Elsewhere life goes on._


	3. T-11 (Runaway)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revali has had enough and flies the coop. Or. Swims away.

_ Over the years, a quiet hatred starts settling in Revali.  _

_ Everyone else his age group has started their own training. Some will become warriors, some will become renowned crafters. Some will go on to become squadron leaders or legendary singers. Some might even become generals in the Hyrulean Royal Guard. _

_ Yet,he still looks the same as he did five years before— a flightless chick that has just barely gone through his first molt, with patchy grey and navy colored feathers. His dull beak and still wide eyes were supposed to be angling into the sharpness of adulthood. He has the beginnings of an adult’s tail though, which he uses to help guide his swimming. _

_ He has mastered gliding but he can barely flutter while others his age are starting to fly short distances.  _

_ Those outside his family refuse to see him for him. _

_ Foreign rito step away from the chick with the sharp, angry eyes. He has perpetually puffed out feathers and hisses sharply at anyone that approaches. They’re soon told about the demon changeling and stay away from him entirely. Very few see how kind and clever he actually is. _

_ The only things that keep him sane amongst the scorn and mockery are Tio and Aunt Clio. Soothing away his anger and fears. Sometimes he hears a soft woman’s voice singing a lullaby at night. He loves the night. For him, the monsters live in the day. _

_ Towards the end of his twelfth year of life, he quietly steals food and supplies from the general store. He looks around amongst the supplies then smirks. When he sneaks out, it’s with a very expensive snowquill set and some enchanted rubies. He rummages around the armory and also steals what he recognizes as a small survival kit and pocket knives, which are more like small daggers in his tiny hands. _

_ He feels no guilt or shame. They owe him for charging him twice as much every time he came in. _

_ He still hasn’t forgiven them for lying about not having nails and allowing the roost to flood until he stole some for Auntie Clio. _

_ When he leaves, he bows to the goddess statue. Even though he’s had a horrible life so far, he knows he’s only alive thanks to Hylia. He turns and leaves too abruptly to see the slight blue glow it gives off. _

  
  


_ In the morning Aunt Clio will find his note and cry. Tiobe will rage and threaten the others. An investigation will be launched by the Elders. Certain parties will be very carefully scrutinized for a very long time, in some cases exiled and escorted away, but it's far too little too late.  _

_ They won’t see Revali again for a very long time. _

\----

_ The false prophet laughs and turns away from what could have been a future wrench in his plans. He does not expect the tiny little crippled rito to survive out in the wild and stops tracking him. There are still too many gears that could foil his plans. _

_ He does not see the white-grey finch rito that doubles down on becoming a warrior. His original plans to being a master bowyer now are just to supplement his future combat experience. _

_ He does not see the brown sparrow-hawk that days later is asked to be amongst those to go out to search for Revali. _

_ He does not look at Lurelin to see the tropical green parrot nervously starting to help with his mother’s general store. What use is a cartographer and why would he look where there are no gears? _

_ He does not follow the destined hero. He does not see the new gears. His arrogance will be his undoing. _

  
  
  
  
  


~~~~~~~

Revali sputters and coughs. Even though he climbed down as far as he could, he almost didn't catch his breath from the hard landing into Totoro Lake. A quick check of his supplies shows the bag is still sealed shut. Good, still waterproof.   
  
Normally, the cold water would start shutting down even him and his double layer of feathers. But tonight, sheer hatred and the snowquill headdress keep him warm as he paddles for the south side of the giant lake. He’s not stupid. Once the thefts are discovered they’ll be looking for him.

He needs to outsmart them. Should be easy.    
  
He’s pretty sure they’ll be looking on the main road and to the north. While the northern path will go up into higher elevations, it’s patrolled far more due to the more fertile farmland. The south has the hard rocky soil and monsters. They won’t expect him to go this way, he's sure of it! Not only that, he made sure to pick the month with the worst and most unpredictable winds. They won’t be able to send a flight-based search party out for some weeks.   
  
He giggles a bit at the faces he imagines those over-puffed idiots will make when they realize they were outsmarted by someone like him.

  
  


Even as he slips into scattered thoughts, he keeps a sharp lookout as he paddles his way down towards the south end of Totoro Lake. It’ll take them even longer to catch up since they’ll be forced into walking if they want to catch him...and  _ they _ don’t have Revali’s secret.   
  
With the headdress keeping him warm, he makes good time to the south end. He looks around very carefully before he dives slightly then quickly flits down an underwater tunnel. 

It’s a secret route that cuts off several days of travel time. Instead of taking the long way around, he’ll pop out on the northwest side of Strock Lake. Tiobe told him the lake looks like a flying squirrel. If that’s the case, then Revali guesses the tunnel probably connects to the “squirrel’s” left arm.    
  
Whether true or not, he immediately heads for the ledge he knows is there. It’ll take far too long for anyone to think about catching up so he’s going to take a nap and warm up. He’s mindful to lay his clothes out to dry before slipping into the rest of the stolen snowquill set. It’s big on him but that's okay. It’ll help him keep warm better.

  
  
  


~~~

When Revali wakes up next he thinks it might be early afternoon. It was dawn just as he was settling down so that's good. He relaxes for a few minutes, enjoying the idea of not having chores, before he carefully changes back into his normal clothes and tucks the snowquill set back into the waterproofed bag.

He's worried most about the food. He needs to eat more than someone his size normally does, but he knows he needs to conserve it...

He knows he needs to get going. He's hungry, but Revali wants to be on more solid ground before he eats... Less chance of dropping precious food.

  
His shortcut gave him a headstart but if it stays too nice for too long, they’ll try and track him down to get the stuff back. They’d probably chase him down just to drag him back, shake him down, and throw him out with nothing. Jerks.

Revali quietly hums as he triple checks the bag then slips down off the rock ledge and continues his journey. He's never been this far before; everything is really interesting. He wishes he had time to stop and catch a fish or to look at some of these plants. He thinks he might have seen a wildberry bush hanging down over the lake.   
  
At points, stray shadows spook him and he slips underwater before making his way further. 

At the south side of Strock Lake, he finds the hill he knows is there and wanders up it carefully. Last time he was here, there was a lizalfos. Once he sees the coast is clear, he moves under an overhang and that's where he finally sits and rummages through his supplies.    
  
He sits and dozes in between bites. He couldn’t carry a lot so he hopes there is a village he can sneak into, but he doesn’t want to steal or beg. He’s a rito he shouldn’t have to... but he knows the jerks back in the village might put out a report hoping to trick people. So stealing and begging it is. 

Even with his hurry, he continues to sit and doze. It's easier to think when he's almost asleep. His thoughts don’t race and scatter so much and right now, he's doing plenty of thinking. 

It won’t do any good to rush and then mess up. Even flying will take a while and no one will want to fly. It’s nice at the ground but he  _ just _ saw someone flip like a pinwheel the morning before.   
  
He thinks it's funny that the same stuff that got him mocked and bullied is what's going to help him escape. His swimming. His odd vision and smelling skill. Most rito have bad night eyes and bad noses...

Revali pauses around a bite of food then nods slowly. He's always wondered how good his night sight is compared to everyone else. While Tiobe tripped everywhere, Revali could see clear as day, even with just stars as his guide. 

Revali decides right there. He’ll finish eating, tuck himself further under the ledge, and sleep until night falls. They won’t fly at night and hes not afraid of a dumb bokoblin or wolf.    
He finishes his apple and nestles closer to the rock.

Before he goes to sleep, he re-evaluates what he stole. He knows he's going to forget but maybe he can remember  _ something? _

  
  


-2 small pocket knives/daggers

-an adult snowquill set-trousers,shirt and headdress

-4 days of adult sized travel rations.

-The enchanted sapphires.    
  
They’re enchanted for cold which is why he took them. He thinks he might use them to either help with overheating or to keep food cold longer.   
  


When he looks through the survival kit, he's a bit bemused at some of it. It has:

  
A small metal bowl,spoon and mug.

A small block of flint.

A few clumps of papery birch underbark.

A waterskin.

A ball of fishing twine.

A small folding fishing pole plus hooks.

He's better prepared than he thought and more than a bit pleased. He's exhausted but he makes the short trek back to Strock Lake to fill the waterskin and drink his fill before settling in for the night.

  
  


With the plan in place, he follows this routine for several days. He travels through the night and only stops to eat when the moon is highest. He eats and sleeps sometime after dawn. He's exhausted, and constantly either hungry or in pain. He’s already broken the fishing pole, so he leaves the pieces behind. Just less weight now.

By the sixth day, he's glad he followed his plan even if he had to dropkick a bokoblin in the face. 

He’s surprised but happy it gave up so easily. He forgot he stole the pocketknives and it would have taken too long to get them out. He carries one constantly now to hopefully make up for things. 

While dozing away under an alcove, he sees the first low flying scout. He doesn’t recognize the young brown-sparrow hawk, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. He puts off sleeping until they’re gone and he can tuck himself further under the alcove so he can hide better. 

He doesn’t move again until past dusk. That's far later than he meant to sleep, and he's still so hungry and exhausted.

He's close to collapsing for a nap, his third one since dusk, when he hears it. It’s his lullaby. He has to stop and tuck himself under a bush out of confusion. After a minute, he pulls himself up and follows it through a narrow path in the canyon wall.

He's amazed by what he finds. 

  
  


It’s amazing. A little paradise inside the dry canyon and the most wonderful thing he's seen maybe ever. There's an absolutely humongous multi-petaled pink and gold flower sitting amongst a pond, with golden vines trailing along it and small glowing pink lights floating around.

He is so entranced by the shiny lights he almost misses the woman that sits in a pond in the middle of the flower. He's bemused by her. She looks almost hylian, but no hylian is that tall. Or…well.. plump looking. He won’t say that part out loud. Aunt Clio taught him _ manners _ after all.

She's very pretty though. All shiny pink and gold. He's never seen anyone but a rito with pink plumage...Hylians have hair. So it's Pink hair.

She's the one singing the lullaby. He stumbles towards her and stares wide eyed. She reaches for him and Revali gets indignant. When he goes to snap that he doesn’t like being touched, he finds he doesn’t even have the energy. It takes him a moment to realize he's tipped onto his side. 

He blinks and finds that he's been moved into the pond in the flower. The pink shiny lights are fluttering around him frantically and the giant woman is petting him. He doesn’t have the energy to even attempt to argue this time.

He closes his eyes and they don’t blink open this time.

\----

He looks around woozily then rubs at his eyes before closing them again. For a time he just lays where he is, content. It takes him entirely too long to realize the soft warm pile of blankets isn’t his own hammock back home, but he doesn’t fuss. It’s calm and quiet. There's no chores for him to do. He's not hungry. His feet and..well, everything doesn’t hurt.   
  


He sits for longer than he’ll admit to before he opens his eyes again. He doesn’t get to see much before the pink shining lights start floating around him again. To his amazement, he can hear whispers from them. 

“Careful!”   
“He’s awake, he's awake!”

“Shh. Shh. Maybe he’ll sleep.”   
“ He needs more sleep, yes!”

They go quiet and start humming in chorus quietly. It is rather nice but.. 

  
He suddenly realizes what these lights are. Fairies. Which means the big woman is a...He's very glad he didn’t say what he was thinking earlier. There are so many stories of what happens to people who upset the Great Fairies. He likes being a rito. He doesn’t think he’d like being a toad.

He looks past the small fairies to see where he's at. He blinks bemusedly to see he's curled up at the back of the flower, almost like he's being hidden. There's a faint shimmer over everything. He looks around for his things and finds... his bag?    
  


The tiny fairies fly out of reach when he reaches for the bag. He can only assume it’s his bag. It certainly is in the same style... But it looks empty, and instead of the plain brown bag it's now done up in a pretty pale gray. When he reaches into it, his hand hits something and he pulls out the flint block. He drops it back in and looks again. Still empty.

He nearly falls into the water when the giant wo-fairy pops out of the pond in the flower and laughs.   
  
“I thought you’d enjoy that, cute little one. It seemed like such a hassle for someone so tiny to be carrying so much.“   
  
He puffs up at being called ‘cute little one’ but she just laughs more. She then carefully hands over a bowl of rice pudding. He stares at it uneasily until she quietly hums the lullaby then he turns his attention to her.   
  
“H..How do you know..?”

She smiles at him and gestures to the bowl which he quickly starts on.   
  
“I was told you would be arriving and you would not respond to anything but that song. What a shame for such a young sweet soul to already be so hardened to life..”

As she coos over him and puts more blankets around where he's laying, Revali can’t help but stare. He’s never seen anyone act like her before except parents with a new egg or chick. Something he can’t remember ever experiencing.

The great fairies are supposed to be old though. Perhaps everyone is a chick to them? He's never heard of anyone getting hurt by one though. Cursed for mouthing off, maybe, but not hurt. He feels sorry for anyone that thinks they can hurt the little fairies though...

He drags his thoughts back just in time to catch her speaking again.

“- Rest here for as long as you want. Here the only time that matters is in song.”

  
Revali blinks and stares at her.

He knows he shouldn’t accept such an offer. That people that allow themselves to be taken by the fairies can end up not realizing that time is passing them by. He could wake up a decade from now the same as always but the world went on without him.... But...he’s so tired... 

It’s so soothing and quiet here. He's been angry and hateful and upset at the world for so long. Aunt Clio always said he shouldn’t hate and hate and hate. That he’d lose the hate and have nothing, like a popped octorok.... He’s pretty sure he understands now. His head hurts and his chest hurts.. But... 

“I..I..I don’t want to just  _ sleep _ , I’m not done _!  _ I wanna be someone great someday. Someone that will humiliate those..those jerks back in the village! That makes others mock  _ them _ for being so..so.. _ stupid _ . They’ll be so ashamed of themselves for not seeing my.. I want to do something great and good and  _ wonderful _ ! The bards will sing songs about me, and...people will know my name is Revali and...”   
  
His last few words are so quiet that he wouldn’t be surprised if the great fairy didn’t hear him. She’s looking at him with surprise. It makes him set the empty bowl down and hide in the blankets. He’s so sure he’s about to be cursed for wanting them to hurt. 

He peers out with surprise when she starts making a great shrieking laugh.

She calms down in quiet chortles before she starts talking. “ Little one! I have not laughed so hard in a long time. It brings me joy to hear you speak as such! With what I had been told I was worried you had lost your fire in the deluge of cruelty. “

She leans back as Revali moves the blankets around in a nest. He clatters his beak nervously.

“You...Does...That mean.. I can’t pay you back for anything. I m..mean. I had to steal the stuff I brought here. “ He rushes on after that. “But... but it's hardly stealing! They... They owed me this stuff with everything they stole from Aunt Clio cause of me...so!”

The Great Fairy puts a finger to her lips and he stops his panicked rambling.    
  
“Worry not, little one. We do not look at things the same way that mortals do. I, Kaysa, will guide you on your path to greatness. Do not worry about payment. Whatever happens, you shall pay back in ways you can afford to. No more, no less.”

She taps her finger to his head. It makes him aware just how tiny he is compared to her. If she let him, he's sure he could sit on her finger like it was a perch. He almost misses what she says next.

“If you become the great hero you yearn to be, then just being a hero will be payment enough. If you change your mind and just lead a quiet life somewhere... then whatever quiet joys you bring will be fine too. Sometimes just bringing a smile is heroic enough. Hmm?” 

She starts tucking him in and for once he doesn’t protest being coddled.   
  
“Sleep. You’ll wake when your heart is lighter and your soul quiet. While you heal, why don’t I tell you some stories?”

_ He dozes off then. As he sleeps and time passes, she indeed tells stories. She starts with a very old one.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “A very long time ago, there was a goddess that was yet young. She visited the world after her three older sisters had already molded it...” _ _   
  
_

_ Throughout the stories, Kayasa speaks of a goddess that threw down her immortal self so she could help the mortals she fell in love with.  _ _   
  
_

_ She speaks of a curse and those doomed to follow it.  _

_ She speaks of a golden artifact and the sages entrusted with it’s protection. _

_ She speaks of a sword that cuts through evil _

_ She speaks of a great many things from a great many times.  _

_ She croons with the next story. The story of the creation of the divine beasts. _

_ She speaks of Vah Medoh. Ruler of the skies. _

_ She speaks of Vah Naboris. Stalwart defender of the desert. _

_ She speaks of Vah Rudania. Watcher of the mountain. _

_ She speaks of Vah Ruta. Guardian of healing.  _

  
  


_ He will remember these stories as just vague dreams. Even so, he’s fascinated by the story of the divine beasts. Each was created with a singular mission. Each became a weapon. Each will live again. Alas, even that story fades from his memory.  _

_ For now, the young Rito sleeps safely while one of Hylia’s emissaries carefully coaxes his flickering candle to full strength. The fairy sings of the heroic past that will reinspire one of Hylia’s chosen.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So at this point I should note. There's some heavy creative license going on with...lots of things. Including Biology and other various sciencey and medical things. Please don't do what Revali does here. Please don't do ANYTHING Revali does. 
> 
> That being said! In this AU Revali is actually an imagined example of   
> 'atavism'. Or! A genetic throwback to when potentially Rito and Zora had the same ancestors. This is a throwback to an ancestor further down the Rito line but still connected to the water. Still a lot of creative license in play.


End file.
